Science

'Rerun' asteroid seen buzzing Earth, our second close shave in 2017

A space rock almost snuck past us undetected again. Instead an asteroid moving faster than a speeding bullet was caught live as it whizzed by.

Eric Mack Contributing Editor

Eric Mack has been a CNET contributor since 2011. Eric and his family live 100% energy and water independent on his off-grid compound in the New Mexico desert. Eric uses his passion for writing about energy, renewables, science and climate to bring educational content to life on topics around the solar panel and deregulated energy industries. Eric helps consumers by demystifying solar, battery, renewable energy, energy choice concepts, and also reviews solar installers. Previously, Eric covered space, science, climate change and all things futuristic. His encrypted email for tips is ericcmack@protonmail.com.

Expertise Solar, solar storage, space, science, climate change, deregulated energy, DIY solar panels, DIY off-grid life projects. CNET's "Living off the Grid" series. https://www.cnet.com/feature/home/energy-and-utilities/living-off-the-grid/ Credentials

Finalist for the Nesta Tipping Point prize and a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

See full bio

Eric Mack

Jan. 24, 2017 9:42 p.m. PT

2 min read

Watch this: High-speed asteroid passes between Earth, moon

01:22

For the second time this month, an asteroid that we didn't even know existed a week ago has passed closer by the surface of the Earth than the distance to the moon.

Asteroid 2017 BX was spotted for the first time ever on January 20 and it came within 162,252 miles (261,120 kilometers) of us, or a little over two thirds of the way to the moon, as it sailed by Tuesday evening just before 9 p.m. PT.

The Slooh Observatory actually managed to capture a very faint image of the passing of 2017 BX, nicknamed "Rerun" for the short-statured character from the classic TV show "What's Happening!!"

Rerun just barely shows up in the image for the same reason that it wasn't even discovered until it was fast approaching us -- it's relatively small and moving very fast. The space rock is estimated to be about the size of a killer whale, between 10 and 40 feet in diameter, and cruising at 17,000 miles per hour, or ten times as fast as a bullet fired from an AK-47.

The faint smudge in the circle is Rerun, captured via the Slooh Observatory as it passed Earth.
Video screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET

Another close call

Sneaky asteroid spotted whizzing between Earth and moon

Rerun passes us just a few weeks after another newly discovered asteroid, 2017 AG13, came within about 126,000 miles of us (around 202777 km).

Asteroids safely pass by our planet just about every day, but most are several times further away than the moon when they do. For example, a much larger asteroid over a mile in diameter also passed Earth Tuesday, but at a distance of 6 million miles or over 25 times the distance to the moon.

You can watch the rerun of Rerun flying by us in the video below:

Technically Literate: Original works of short fiction with unique perspectives on tech, exclusively on CNET.

Solving for XX: The industry seeks to overcome outdated ideas about "women in tech."